The typical cobb salad gets a summer twist in this recipe with handfuls of fresh basil, sliced strawberries and crunchy cucumber. My cousins (Emily and Liz) and I spontaneously assembled this salad a few weeks ago and it was an absolute hit! We were all sitting around at the lake wondering what to eat for lunch when I started to brainstorm…We have chicken, tons of lettuce and eggs: the base for a protein-filled salad. Now time for flavor and color – Strawberries were going to be for cocktails or yogurt parfaits, but they would be perfect for sweetness! Baby cucumbers would be ideal for crunch. The pantry is overflowing with croutons. Done! My little cousin Liz was telling me all about their massive herb garden with mint, dill and basil when I realized the finishing touch to the salad would be basil from their garden! It got mixed in with the lettuce and added in a fragrant flavor to each bite.
Emily, Liz and I were a dynamic trio on Snapchat all week cooking up new things in the kitchen. In case you missed it, I wanted to post the story we filmed while making the salad on YouTube so you could re-watch! Emily is an anchor and reporter in Minot, North Dakota and you can tell she’s a natural on camera. Liz is an avid Food Network Star and Chopped viewer. I love watching her little personality come out on camera as if she were on a competition show.
After Flight Night at Brew cooking for about 25 people and being at the lake where it wasn’t uncommon to have a dinner for 30 family members, I have a new appreciation for making big meals! Emily, Liz and I knew we had to feed about 12 people with this salad, but it was incredible how far we could stretch the ingredients. A couple pounds of frozen chicken tenders baked up quickly in the oven and got their flavor from the midwest go-to: Lawry’s seasoning salt. Eggs are very affordable, so boiling up a half dozen to chop for this salad was an easy way to add nutrition. These two elements are also classics to a cobb salad. We skipped the bacon, but that would certainly be a great addition if you have some on hand. All the kiddos got to choose their own dressing for the salad, making it feel customizable and likable for a variety of palates.
- 5 strawberries, sliced
- 1/4 cup sliced cucumber
- 1 diced cooked [url href=”https://gourmetgab.com/the-best-chicken-for-salads/” target=”_blank”]chicken breast[/url]
- 1-2 hard boiled eggs, diced
- 2 tablespoons basil, chopped
- 2-3 large handfuls of lettuce
- 1/2 cup croutons
- Dressing of choice
- To hard boil eggs, add eggs to a small sauce pot and fill with water. Water should be about 1 inch above eggs in the pot. Bring to a boil and let boil for about 1 minute. Cover with a lid, turn off the heat and let sit for 13 minutes. Once time is up, let cool or run under cold water. Remove shell and dice for salad.
- While eggs are hard boiling, slice strawberries, cucumber, basil and chicken.
- Once all ingredients are prepped, assemble salad over lettuce. Add dressing of choice.
This rhubarb leaf was the size of Liz! We didn’t use it in the salad, but I just adore this picture.
I hope you enjoy this fresh twist on a traditional cobb salad! I wish I were back at the lake to enjoy this for lunch with Emily, Liz and all the family. Whenever I eat it, I will absolutely remember making it with the girls. Comment below if you try it and let me know what you think of adding basil to the salad. It’s my favorite part!
Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela
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